Day: August 17, 2018

Housing association tenants will be given access to the finance they need to get a foothold on the property ladder following the launch of a new £200million Government scheme.
The pilot, in the Midlands, comes after an historic voluntary agreement between the National Housing Federation (NHF) and the Government which will eventually give 1.3million tenants the chance to achieve their property-owning dreams.
The scheme, which was launched on Thursday (16th August), gives large discounts of up 50% on price of their home, for…

When my husband and I got married and opted for a civil wedding, it’s not about the money but meeting halfway – it is totally a different and long story. In most cases however, when a couple decides to go for a civil wedding, it has something to do with the budget. With that being said, how much does a quick and simple civil wedding cost? Dear judge, here’s our witnesses, marry us now and make it quick! This is where you and your spouse-to-be go to the courthouse or…

Barak Orbach, University of Arizona, and Lindsey Huang, Perkins Coie, LLP, are publishing Con Men and Their Enablers: The Anatomy of Confidence Games in Social Research: An International Quarterly (forthcoming). Here is the abstract. President Trump’s philosophy for life, business, and politics prescribes the use of “leverage,” “truthful hyperbole,” and “play[ing] to people’s fantasies” to advance zero-sum deals. Many people believe that this philosophy made Trump a successful businessman and the greatest dealmaker in history. Many others believe that, by following this philosophy, Mr. Trump has proven that, with the…

According to estate agency, Keller Williams, agents need access to internal training if service levels across the industry are to improve.
The agency argues that training can help agents to foster lifetime client relationships – an approach which is ultimately more sustainable and profitable.
According to the most recent annual report from The Property Ombudsman, consumers made a total of 1,165 complaints against sales agents in 2017.
The total compensation awarded by TPO was £360,178 (up 4% from 2016), with an average…

Real Estate 101: The Statute of Frauds is a really old law that originated in England in 1677. It requires that certain transactions must be in writing, signed by the party to be charged, basically the person being sued. Real estate purchases are one of the transactions covered by the statute of frauds. In real estate transactions, the SOF further requires that the writing contain a description of the property, a description of the parties, the price, and any agreed to conditions of price or payment. There are a few…

Principality has announced that it has increased its maximum loan amount to £500k for residential products up to 90% LTV across England and Wales.
The new maximum loan size will be available for both residential purchase and remortgage applications, with no change to pricing.
Emma Graham, Principality’s Key Account Manager said: “We have seen an increasing demand from our intermediaries for larger loan sizes. Therefore, our response was to change and help to expand our customer base whilst addressing a rise in property…

What most people don’t realize is that we all have something worth protecting in the event of our eventual passing. While some assets are obvious, some aren’t. Most people tend only associate the word “assets” with the possessions of wealthy individuals. Not true. Here are five of the top things everyone, including you, need to know about estate law in order to protect your family and assets, current and future. #1: No Estate Is Too Small The thing that you have to realize about estate law is that it encompasses…

M&S Bank has announced that it has extended its maximum loan to value to 95% on three new products – a two and five-year fixed rate mortgage and two-year tracker mortgage.
The lender has also increased its maximum mortgage term to 35 years, across both its first time buyer and home mover products.
To further support first time buyers, M&S Bank offers £1,000 cashback exclusively for those purchasing their first home, plus a free valuation. In addition, it enables up to four borrowers…

The latest UK HPI release of property price data for June provided the first concrete look how the UK market has performed on the two-year anniversary of our decision to leave the EU.
With the headlines showing house price growth is at a five year low across the UK, Emoov.co.uk, has crunched the numbers to see where has suffered and where has shrugged off the wider market slowdown to enjoy strong price growth.
The UK
Across the UK, prices are up 7.3%…

New research from Sunlife has revealed that on average, people aged 55 and over who own their own home have houses worth £290,659.
According to the figures, most have had their homes for more than 20 years, with the average home bought in 1994 – back then, the average home was worth £51,633 which means an increase in value of a whopping £239,026.
The vast majority – 82% – own their homes outright, while those who do have an outstanding mortgage only have…